Delhi govt intensifies dust control, 45-day PWD clean-up now underway

Mega PWD operation includes debris removal, footpath repairs, and greenery upkeep; weekly reviews planned to ensure deadline compliance.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to launch an intensive 45-day citywide clean-up mission across Delhi, ordering the removal of road dust, debris, and waste along 1,400 kilometres of arterial roads under its jurisdiction.

People walk through heavy dust pollution caused by the poor condition of Sarojini Nagar Road, in New Delhi, India.(RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Gupta warned that “no laxity will be tolerated” and said accountability has been fixed for every officer involved in the exercise.

Under the mega drive, the PWD has deployed 200 maintenance vans to carry out round-the-clock cleaning, pothole filling, debris removal and dust suppression.

Each van tasked with deep cleaning 200m

Each van is tasked with deep cleaning at least 200 metres of road daily, under the supervision of a junior or assistant engineer, officials said.

“Our government is fully committed to improving Delhi’s air quality and will not tolerate negligence. Every officer will be held individually accountable,” Gupta said, adding that the campaign targets dust, one of the major contributors to Delhi’s PM10 and PM2.5 levels.

Officials said the work is progressing rapidly across PWD-maintained stretches, where teams are cleaning kerb channels and footpaths, removing accumulated dust, repairing signage and streetlights, and coordinating with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to prevent fresh waste dumping. Weekly reviews are being held to ensure completion within 45 days, they added.

60 horticulture vans deployed too

Additionally, 60 horticulture vans have been deployed for tree pruning and greenery upkeep.

“The upkeep of roadside trees and proper management of dust and debris are essential to improve air quality. Departments have been instructed to ensure visible results within 45 days,” Gupta said.

In a parallel meeting, urban development minister Ashish Sood reviewed cleanliness and pollution control measures with MCD officials.

The civic body informed that 14,000 metric tonnes of waste are collected daily. Sood directed faster waste segregation, effective use of mechanical sweepers, smog guns and sprinklers, and announced inspections at Ghazipur and Bhalswa landfill sites next week.

“The Delhi Government’s goal is not only to clean the city but to make it green and sustainable. Technology, transparency and public participation are the three pillars of our environmental action,” Sood said.

“In the last 24 hours, our teams have inspected 387 construction and demolition sites, 79 municipal solid waste locations, 22 DG set installations, and 12 hotels and restaurants to check for fuel usage and dust control compliance. Action has been taken wherever violations were found,” environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said in a statement.

He added, “We have intensified dust mitigation and road-cleaning operations across all pollution hotspots. The chief minister has issued clear directions to ensure that every agency remains active on the ground.”

More than 500 inspections carried

Sirsa said that more than 500 inspections were carried out citywide in the last 24 hours by over 1,200 enforcement teams from various departments.

“In total, 9,325 vehicular challans were issued, 83 trucks were diverted, 454 complaints were resolved, and 2,348 metric tonnes of construction and demolition waste were lifted in a single day, underlining the scale of civic action,” he said.

The minister added that 128 inter-state buses were also checked at Delhi’s borders as part of the ongoing enforcement drive.